Which is the Best - SRAM Red or Shimano Dura Ace 7900 ?????

06townsonj

Hi,

I have the choice of two groupsets to put on the new Dolan Ares I am buying:

1. SRAM Red
2. Shimano Dura Ace 7900

What would you pick and why?

tri-sexual

DA, very personal choice, i'm sure others will recommend red
shimano feels better to me,
red is becoming very popular due to lightweight but i think durability suffers,
shifting is less precise (especially on the front), cranks dont feel as stiff, the shifting suffers more wear esp the cassette and chain
recommend you trying Di2, very impressive system

RedJohn

Campagnolo Record :-)
(Sorry, someone had to say it!)

Seriously tho' - both are good, probably mostly down to how comfy you find the hoods/levers and how you like the different shifting controls.

Pretre

RedJohn wrote:

both are good, probably mostly down to how comfy you find the hoods/levers and how you like the different shifting controls.

+1

ozzzyosborn206

D A mainly because i have always had shimano and if it ain't broke don't fix it

sungod

as a couple of people say above, choose on comfort, all high end groupsets are very good

i've got red, mainly for this, they fit my hands well and i like the double-tap shifting

the front mech seems very sensitive to alignment, much more so than shimano, took a while to get it just right, then shifting was fine

dawebbo

Red looks cheap and tacky imo.

DA all the way

sungod

funny, i've always thought the same about da

cougie

Doubt theres much in it - but my mate keeps fluffing his gear changes on his Red after using Shimano for years - so I'd say if you like shimano - stick with it.

Mr Schleck - are you listening ? :?:

lovestheclimb

sram have nice shape hoods and very comfy to ride on.
sram red is good for around two years but due to the unique way of shifting it wears the parts a lot more than DA.
if your going to get sram red get sram red black then put a sram force front mech on as sram red front mech is a bit flimsy.
i would personally say DA though and i've ridden both, and DA is a lot more rewarding.
as tri-sexual said Di2 is the nuts!
in conclusion pick what you like the look of the most, they will both do the job with sram being lighter but DA being more robust saying that i don't know if your a heavy powerful rider but i snapped a DA crank drive side because of how hollowed out it is.

06townsonj

tri-sexual wrote:

shifting is less precise (especially on the front), cranks dont feel as stiff, the shifting

Is the shifting less precise that Shimano Dura Ace on the rear?

sungod wrote:

the front mech seems very sensitive to alignment, much more so than shimano, took a while to get it just right, then shifting was fine

Are you saying Shimano Dura Ace is better than SRAM Red?

dawebbo wrote:

Red looks cheap and tacky imo.

How does SRAM Red look tacky?

Anonymous

Go by which hoods feel the best for you. Both are excellent. I'm not a fan at all of Campagnolo, particularly the thumb shift but it's the best looking.

One thing that I really prefer about DA is the fact the cranks are alloy.

One thing that p'd me off about red were the front chainrings. They're cack.. I replaced them with Stronglight CT2s and they are stiffer and shifting better.

The shifting on Red is amazing, no play whatsoever in the levers, and I personally find Sram hoods the most comfy. For that reason, I'm in.

06townsonj

NapoleonD wrote:

One thing that I really prefer about DA is the fact the cranks are alloy.

What difference does the Shimano Dura Ace 7900 alloy cranks make over the SRAM red Carbon Cranks?

Anonymous

06townsonj wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

One thing that I really prefer about DA is the fact the cranks are alloy.

What difference does the Shimano Dura Ace 7900 alloy cranks make over the SRAM red Carbon Cranks?

The thing they are made of...

I find the DA cranks stiffer than campagnolo or Sram.

What's with all the bold?

rbleightonbuzzard

What's with all the questions!

LangerDan

TBH I'd hold off until later in the summer and get the new Ultegra electronic groupset ,which is supposed to be the same price as mechanical Dura Ace.

FWIW, a frame manufacturerin the US reckons this is the best combination of SRAM components
"Red shifters. Rival cranks/FD/brakes, Force RD(nicer bushings/bearings), KMC chain, Ultegra cassette."

Anonymous

Indeed! Wheels, groupsets, surprised finishing kit hasn't come up yet...

rbleightonbuzzard

So its decided, some 2kg hand built Chinese wheels with SRAM Red in black with the yellow trim, fzik bar tape and a Garmin 800.

StillGoing

As a convert to SRAM I'm really impressed with it both in looks and operation. The double tap system makes so much sense and as said, the hood position somehow makes it more comfortable when riding on them.

rozzer32

LangerDan wrote:

TBH I'd hold off until later in the summer and get the new Ultegra electronic groupset ,which is supposed to be the same price as mechanical Dura Ace.

FWIW, a frame manufacturerin the US reckons this is the best combination of SRAM components
"Red shifters. Rival cranks/FD/brakes, Force RD(nicer bushings/bearings), KMC chain, Ultegra cassette."

I wouldn't agree with the Force RD, Red has ceramic bearings in the jockey wheels, force doesn't.

marksteven

Dura Ace Baby !!!!

fortyone

Simply get the most comfortable - as Sean Kelly said yesterday, it's not the groupset, but the motor.

Bar Shaker

I think the vote is conclusive... in that they are both top of the game.

Having used double taps, I wouldn't choose to go back to Shimano but at this level, there are no bad choices.

Buy what you think looks sexiest.

06townsonj

Hi,

Thanks for your opinions! Anyone else?

SRAM Red is appealing more to me at the minute.